I kept my maiden name, but mostly by accident (at the time of our wedding). Something about needing to file separate papers at the consulate; in the country I was married in, women don't automatically take their husband's name upon marrying (as I understand it). By the time we realized we needed to file more paperwork, it was too late to do anything before the wedding.

I thought about filing the proper papers a few months after we were married, but it just never seemed important to either of us. I thought about doing a legal name change when my son was born, but again, it just didn't seem right to either of us.

It's been interesting to hear people's reactions to the fact I kept my maiden name; some have been downright rude. People assume so much when they know so little.

One of my names is a grandmothers' maiden name. That helped when I started family history research, even if it is inconvenient to have four names. Other male members of the family have perpetuated the grandfather, great-grandfather, and great-great-grandfather's (and so on) Christian name, but as the younger son of a younger son I didn't need to.

I have three daughters. One is unmarried so still has my surname. One used her maiden name as her professional name until she changed employers and needed a new start.

The youngest, an MD, has kept her maiden name for professional purposes and added my surname as a additional Christian name to her full married name. She is married to a medical Ph.D so it is convenient that he is Doctor X and she is Doctor Y.

Socially they are Doctor (his Christian name) and Doctor (her Christian name). At work they use their separate surnames as listed in professional registers but she is often called "Doctor Cake". She gets given too much cake and sometimes she has to take drastic measures to exercise away the consequences.